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    Take Note of the Sun Shining Within Twilight – Four Poems by Natalia Beltchenko

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    Take Note of the Sun Shining Within Twilight – Four Poems by Natalia Beltchenko

    Water: The Longest Tunnel Where the Color Blue Is Born — Four Poems by SHANKAR LAHIRI

    Message to Forough Farrokhzad and other poems – Samira Albouzedi

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    Love in Africa and the Variety of its Declinations: Short-story Tasting from Disco Matanga by Alex Nderitu

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    FLORAL PRINT FLAT SHOES – Lucia Cupertino

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    Menstruation in Fiction: The Authorial Gaze – Farah Ahamed

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    Plowing the publishing world – Tribute to Brazilian writer Itamar Vieira, by Loretta Emiri

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    Jaider Esbell – Specialist in Provocations, by Loretta Emiri

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    The Excruciating Beauty of Ukrainian Bravery: Camilla Boemio Interviews Zarina Zabrisky on Her Photography Series

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    Everything Moves and Everything Is About Relationships. Susan Aberg Interviews Painter Louise Victor

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    Videos from worldwide readings in support of Ukrainian writers, September 7, 2022 – Zoom Readings Italy

    Videos from worldwide readings in support of Ukrainian writers, September 7, 2022 – Zoom Readings Italy

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    Glory to the Heroes! Poems by Volodymyr Tymchuk

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    The Shipwreck Saga – Lynne Knight

    Phoenix: Part I – YIN Xiaoyuan

    Surrender to Our Explosive Democracy – Five Poems by Serena Piccoli from “gulp/gasp” (Moria Poetry 2022)

    Take Note of the Sun Shining Within Twilight – Four Poems by Natalia Beltchenko

    Me and French, or What I Did During the Pandemic (Moi et le français, ou Ce que j’ai fais pendant la pandémie) – Carolyn Miller

    Becoming-animal as a Mirror – Ten Animals from Gabriele Galloni’s Bestiary

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    HAIR IN THE WIND – Calling on poets to join international project in solidarity with the women of Iran

    HAIR IN THE WIND – Calling on poets to join international project in solidarity with the women of Iran

    THE DREAMING MACHINE ISSUE N. 11 WILL BE OUT ON DEC. 10

    THE DREAMING MACHINE ISSUE N. 11 WILL BE OUT ON DEC. 10

    RUCKSACK – GLOBAL POETRY PATCHWORK PROJECT

    RUCKSACK – GLOBAL POETRY PATCHWORK PROJECT

    REFUGEE TALES July 3-5:  Register for a Walk In Solidarity with Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Detainees

    REFUGEE TALES July 3-5: Register for a Walk In Solidarity with Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Detainees

    IL BIANCO E IL NERO – LE PAROLE PER DIRLO, Conference Milan Sept. 7

    IL BIANCO E IL NERO – LE PAROLE PER DIRLO, Conference Milan Sept. 7

    OPEN POEM TO THE CURATORS OF THE 58th VENICE BIENNALE  FROM THE GHOSTS OF THAT RELIC YOU SHOULD NOT DARE CALL “OUR BOAT” (Pina Piccolo)

    OPEN POEM TO THE CURATORS OF THE 58th VENICE BIENNALE FROM THE GHOSTS OF THAT RELIC YOU SHOULD NOT DARE CALL “OUR BOAT” (Pina Piccolo)

  • Home
  • Poetry
    Take Note of the Sun Shining Within Twilight – Four Poems by Natalia Beltchenko

    Take Note of the Sun Shining Within Twilight – Four Poems by Natalia Beltchenko

    This Is Not A Feminist Poem – Wana Udobang (a.k.a. Wana Wana)

    from AFROWOMEN POETRY – Three Poets from Tanzania: Langa Sarakikya, Gladness Mayenga, Miriam Lucas

    The Bitter Bulbs of Trees Growing by the Roadsides of History – Three Poems by Iya Kiva

    The Bitter Bulbs of Trees Growing by the Roadsides of History – Three Poems by Iya Kiva

    What Was Heart Is Now A Scorched Branch – Three Poems by Elina Sventsytska

    Take Note of the Sun Shining Within Twilight – Four Poems by Natalia Beltchenko

    Water: The Longest Tunnel Where the Color Blue Is Born — Four Poems by SHANKAR LAHIRI

    Message to Forough Farrokhzad and other poems – Samira Albouzedi

  • Fiction
    Take Note of the Sun Shining Within Twilight – Four Poems by Natalia Beltchenko

    BOW / BHUK – Parimal Bhattacharya

    Take Note of the Sun Shining Within Twilight – Four Poems by Natalia Beltchenko

    A Very Different Story (Part II)- Nandini Sahu

    Take Note of the Sun Shining Within Twilight – Four Poems by Natalia Beltchenko

    The Aunt: An Exhilarating Story by Francesca Gargallo

    THE PROGENITOR – Zakir Talukder (trans. from Bengali by Masrufa Ayesha Nusrat)

    Stalks of Lotus – Indrani Datta

    Love in Africa and the Variety of its Declinations:  Short-story Tasting from Disco Matanga by Alex Nderitu

    Love in Africa and the Variety of its Declinations: Short-story Tasting from Disco Matanga by Alex Nderitu

    FLORAL PRINT FLAT SHOES – Lucia Cupertino

    FLORAL PRINT FLAT SHOES – Lucia Cupertino

    Hunting for images in Guatemala City: Alvaro Sánchez interviewed by Pina Piccolo

    The Red Bananas – N. Annadurai

    Hunting for images in Guatemala City: Alvaro Sánchez interviewed by Pina Piccolo

    THE CULPRIT – Gourahari Das

  • Non Fiction
    Menstruation in Fiction: The Authorial Gaze – Farah Ahamed

    Menstruation in Fiction: The Authorial Gaze – Farah Ahamed

    Aadya Shakti, or Primal Energy – Lyla Freechild

    Aadya Shakti, or Primal Energy – Lyla Freechild

    Take Note of the Sun Shining Within Twilight – Four Poems by Natalia Beltchenko

    THE TIME HAS COME – Gaius Tsaamo

    THE AMAZONS OF THE APOCALYPSE from “Ikonoklast – Oksana Šačko’: arte e rivoluzione” –  Massimo Ceresa

    THE AMAZONS OF THE APOCALYPSE from “Ikonoklast – Oksana Šačko’: arte e rivoluzione” – Massimo Ceresa

    Plowing the publishing world  – Tribute to Brazilian writer Itamar Vieira, by Loretta Emiri

    Plowing the publishing world – Tribute to Brazilian writer Itamar Vieira, by Loretta Emiri

    Jaider Esbell – Specialist in Provocations, by Loretta Emiri

    Jaider Esbell – Specialist in Provocations, by Loretta Emiri

  • Interviews & reviews
    The mushroom at the end of the world. Camilla Boemio interviews Silia Ka Tung

    The mushroom at the end of the world. Camilla Boemio interviews Silia Ka Tung

    The Excruciating Beauty of Ukrainian Bravery: Camilla Boemio Interviews Zarina Zabrisky on Her Photography Series

    The Excruciating Beauty of Ukrainian Bravery: Camilla Boemio Interviews Zarina Zabrisky on Her Photography Series

    Everything Moves and Everything Is About Relationships. Susan Aberg Interviews Painter Louise Victor

    Everything Moves and Everything Is About Relationships. Susan Aberg Interviews Painter Louise Victor

    Reportage of War and Emotions, the Tour of Three Ukrainian Poets in Italy

    Reportage of War and Emotions, the Tour of Three Ukrainian Poets in Italy

    Videos from worldwide readings in support of Ukrainian writers, September 7, 2022 – Zoom Readings Italy

    Videos from worldwide readings in support of Ukrainian writers, September 7, 2022 – Zoom Readings Italy

    Reportage of War and Emotions, the Tour of Three Ukrainian Poets in Italy

    From Euromaidan: Three Ukrainian poets to spoil Westsplaining fest in Italy – Zarina Zabrisky

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    • All
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    • Intersections
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    Take Note of the Sun Shining Within Twilight – Four Poems by Natalia Beltchenko

    THE MATERICIST MANIFESTO by AVANGUARDIE VERDI

    Artwork by Mubeen Kishany – Contamination and Distancing

    Glory to the Heroes! Poems by Volodymyr Tymchuk

    Glory to the Heroes! Poems by Volodymyr Tymchuk

    Materials from Worldwide Readings in Solidarity with Salman Rushdie – Bologna Event

    Materials from Worldwide Readings in Solidarity with Salman Rushdie – Bologna Event

    The Shipwreck Saga – Lynne Knight

    Phoenix: Part I – YIN Xiaoyuan

    Surrender to Our Explosive Democracy – Five Poems by Serena Piccoli from “gulp/gasp” (Moria Poetry 2022)

    Take Note of the Sun Shining Within Twilight – Four Poems by Natalia Beltchenko

    Me and French, or What I Did During the Pandemic (Moi et le français, ou Ce que j’ai fais pendant la pandémie) – Carolyn Miller

    Becoming-animal as a Mirror – Ten Animals from Gabriele Galloni’s Bestiary

  • News
    HAIR IN THE WIND – Calling on poets to join international project in solidarity with the women of Iran

    HAIR IN THE WIND – Calling on poets to join international project in solidarity with the women of Iran

    THE DREAMING MACHINE ISSUE N. 11 WILL BE OUT ON DEC. 10

    THE DREAMING MACHINE ISSUE N. 11 WILL BE OUT ON DEC. 10

    RUCKSACK – GLOBAL POETRY PATCHWORK PROJECT

    RUCKSACK – GLOBAL POETRY PATCHWORK PROJECT

    REFUGEE TALES July 3-5:  Register for a Walk In Solidarity with Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Detainees

    REFUGEE TALES July 3-5: Register for a Walk In Solidarity with Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Detainees

    IL BIANCO E IL NERO – LE PAROLE PER DIRLO, Conference Milan Sept. 7

    IL BIANCO E IL NERO – LE PAROLE PER DIRLO, Conference Milan Sept. 7

    OPEN POEM TO THE CURATORS OF THE 58th VENICE BIENNALE  FROM THE GHOSTS OF THAT RELIC YOU SHOULD NOT DARE CALL “OUR BOAT” (Pina Piccolo)

    OPEN POEM TO THE CURATORS OF THE 58th VENICE BIENNALE FROM THE GHOSTS OF THAT RELIC YOU SHOULD NOT DARE CALL “OUR BOAT” (Pina Piccolo)

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Home Poetry

Somewhere deep inside my soul, a tiny bone shattered – Five poems from “The Bitter Herb”, by Raphael D’Abdon

December 2, 2018
in Poetry, The dreaming machine n 3
Somewhere deep inside my soul,  a tiny bone shattered – Five poems from “The Bitter Herb”, by Raphael D’Abdon
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  1. children training

 

two boys chasing each other on the street

with toy guns in their hands

 

the small one gives up and

falls to the floor,

acting out his own death.

 

the big one stands by, and

pulls the trigger.

 

there is no blood on his friend,

 

for now.

 

 

  1. my name

 

 

  1. raphael

 

its root is

featured in one of god’s names

like badu in you got me

 

meaning:

god has healed,

the divine healer,

guides the younger

comforts the elder

protects the traveler, the blind,

the physician

 

one of the four angels

who stand round the throne of god,

the angel of a pool called

bethesda

where the sick go

to be healed

 

he always goes to those who know

they are too weak to make it on their own

he is filled with all good things through him

 

prayer is good for him

with fasting and alms

 

  1. abdon

 

the root means

“yours truly”

 

in the bible it appears four times as the name of a man

and once

as that of a city

 

the masculine noun means both worker and subject

the feminine noun means labour, service,

religious discipline and

a collective performance of queens

 

the verb means to work or to serve

rich in sense

ubiquitous in use,

it has the power to take gist

from whatever comes next

 

if the story tells of “dressing” vines,

it reads “working” vines.

if a field is tilled,

it reads the field is “worked”.

 

the range of its root is so wide that

quite often

it results in self-contradiction

 

just like poetry

 

 

  1. junk food ghazal

 

 

kfc, burger king, mc donald’s, pizza hut, and now even subway.

a new junk food joint opened in my street today.

 

kids in the hood with supersize pants and flabby bellies.

in the old days they were thin, they are all unfit today.

 

young women and men utterly out of shape.

this country is for the obese, there’s no petite today.

 

triple dipping chips and onion rings dotted with black spots.

add tomato sauce, and serve them with your meat today.

 

burnt bacon, paper textured bread, hot dogs that taste like gum cigars.

mouths stuffed with so much shit today.

 

plastic lettuce, chicken flavoured rubber, weird peppers added for no reason.

there’s nothing else to eat today?

 

“it’s all grease, all grease!”, #RaphaelHatesJunkFood

is what i am going to tweet today.

 

 

  1. father and daughter

“the river was an immortal mother”

– Malika Ndlovu

 

once i took my daughter

up the mountain

to watch the wolves

running.

 

(i always enjoy

dipping back into

this memory,

as it becomes yarn, string

or thread)

 

“how would you spend

the next 100 years,

if you knew they were your last?”

i asked her.

 

“by asking:

what am i great at?

what can i give to the world?”

she said.

“baking cupcakes, playing cards

and searching for gold”,

she added.

 

five years later,

still searching,

with simplicity

she reminded me to

always ease the moment.

 

somewhere deep inside my soul,

a tiny bone shattered.

the change was subtle, but

awakened my interest in

butterflies and buds.

 

after all she gave to me,

i needed to honour her –

and it had to be done through a poem.

 

i went looking for her,

 

and found her sitting on a riverbank,

waiting for me.

 

the river was staring at her.

it followed her guiding eyes.

 

fish were surfacing,

like memories of childhood days,

 

to take pieces of bread

from her cupped hands.

 

 

  1. ruba’i of the night

 

revel not in the memories of greener pastures

forget not what the wine-drinkers told you before dawn

catch the cherry flowers the wind has snatched away

in this afterworld you’re on your own

 

 

Raphael d’Abdon was born in Udine (Friuli-Italy) and lives in Pretoria (South Africa). He is a writer, scholar, spoken word poet, editor and translator, and the author of three poetry collections, sunnyside nightwalk (2013), salt water (2016) and the bitter herb (2018). He also edited the volume Marikana. A Moment in Time, and translated into Italian (with Lorenzo Mari) Bless Me Father, the autobiography of South African poet Mario d’Offizi. His poems appear in journals, magazines and anthologies in South Africa, Ghana, Palestine, Singapore, India, Italy, USA, and UK, and he has read his poetry in South Africa, Nigeria, Somaliland, Italy, and the US.

Tags: childrenfather and daughterjunk foodmemorynamesobesityRaphael d'AbdonSouth Africa

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HAIR IN THE WIND we  invite all poets from all countries to be part of the artistic-poetic performance HAIR IN...

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